


Regulars

by benswolos



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternative Universe - Modern Setting, Commute AU, F/M, Modern AU, Oneshot, Public transport, Rey gets offended, Swearing, Train AU, bc we’ve all seen a cute stranger on a train, lots of staring, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 06:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19762912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benswolos/pseuds/benswolos
Summary: An attractive man sits by Rey on the commute home only to get up and offer his seat to someone else. Only Rey would hold onto a grudge for so long.





	Regulars

Rey remembered all the regulars on her train ride home.

There was Roger, he took her train in the morning too and he always wore a funny tie. Rey had complimented his robot tie one afternoon. There was the lady who always read such strange books. Rey would always lean over just a little bit when the lady was sat in front of her. Aliens, dragons, vampire goblin love triangle. The kid in the preppy school uniform always stood and ignored the world as some rubbish electronic music always leaked from the big Rasta coloured headphones. Then there was him.

She didn’t know his name, she barely interacted with him at all but he always caught this train, every weekday afternoon for a month now.

The first time she saw him was when she arrived to the train early. Normally everyday Rey rushed to the first carriage, the train door almost closing behind her. She had changed out of her uniform back into her everyday clothes and had power walked to the train station just in time to get her own seat by herself. However Rey knew the train would fill quickly so she had sat her handbag on her lap.

She probably looked awful, all sweaty and red in the face. She probably smelt awful too. Her days consisted of constantly being on her feet. Rey had picked up work as a hotel housekeeper, a job she didn’t particularly like but she worked hard and it paid the bills.

Rey sat, sinking her tired brain into some pointless article on her mobile when he sat next to her.

As she turned to look at him, she was not expecting to see what she saw. Rey tried to glance only for a second in order not to be rude. He had dark shoulder-length locks and a pale face, his eyes from the little she could see was dark too. He was dressed casually. A black band shirt and black jeans. He was rummaging around in his shoulder bag and by god was he attractive.

‘ _Oh shit_ ’ Rey thought to herself. She couldn’t look at him again, knowing she would blurt out something stupid out of pure nerves.

The train was leaving in five more minutes and Rey was kind of excited to sit next to some handsome stranger for another thirty more minutes till her stop.

However he didn’t stay long.

Around them, people had started to stand. He got up and offered seat to an older gentleman in a business suit. That man declined too.

Rey understood she guessed. She probably smelt like dirty toilets and sweat, she probably wouldn’t want to sit next to herself either.

He stood in her eye sight throughout the ride. When she looked up to him for a moment he was looking at her too, before they both averted their gaze rapidly. She could see his eyes in the reflection of train window as they went through the three minute tunnel. He had glanced in her direction a couple of times, his stare lingering for a moment. Rey looked from the window back at him. Their eyes catching each other for a second, almost acknowledging each other, before they both looked away.

Rey had felt so awkward, and already down on herself a little because two people didn’t want to sit by her.

The lady in front of her was not a regular but she was watching something on her phone so instead of exchanging more awkward glances with the unfortunately attractive stranger, she leaned forward and watched for the last ten minutes of her ride.

Rey had walked past him as she had gotten off at her stop. He had looked to her again and Rey could tell, even as she moved fast with her heart beating faster, she knew his eyes followed her.

Rey didn’t know much about him. Only that he got off at a further stop than hers and that he didn’t like people who smell like intense labour.

She had seen him four more times that week. On the train every afternoon. Rey did everything in her power not to look at him, an almost cruel reminder that not everyone in the galaxy is going to like you. She hadn’t been early again that week, just scraping into the train just in the nick of time most days. Rey would see his dark hair and broad shoulders and she would stand with her back to him. If he was standing too she would try to get the furthest away she could, back still turned.

Rey didn’t know why she couldn’t let it go, why she wanted to avoid his gaze. But she kept at it.

Three weeks in and it was if she was almost dreading going home.

She had managed to keep the game up for two more weeks after that. But one Monday afternoon, Rey had made it five minutes before the train was scheduled to leave and people were already standing.

She shimmied her way down the tight aisle, her tired eyes spotted an empty seat. Rey was ecstatic, celebrating the prospect of resting her feet as she made her way over only for her stomach to drop when she made it. It was him.

He was looking up to her too.

“Did you want a seat?” she had asked the elderly man in the suit standing next to her.

“I’ll be fine, thanks though”

Rey desperately looked to the lady next to her to save her. She held out her hand, offering the seat to the young woman but she just shook her head and offered the seat right back to Rey. He was looking again too.

She cracked under pressure and took the seat. Rey’s shoulders stiffened, her heart beating a thousand miles per hour. She couldn’t understand why he was making her feel like this.

Rey could almost feel like there was a strange energy between them. She tried not to get into his space at all costs. His shoulder came over to the next seat so she sat closest to the edge of her own seat. Her ass uncomfortable as it the edge of the chair dug into her.

‘ _Relax, relax_ ’ she couldn’t relax.

There was a silence between them, of course there was they didn’t know each other. Rey didn’t dare to look. She just stared down at her phone, waiting for any kind of higher being to strike her down where she sits or at least make the trip go faster.

Rey had taken a moment to look up from her phone, his head was turned in her direction. Intially, she looked past him to the window but then she looked to his face. Rey supposed he must have been doing the same because their eyes met again. This time closer than the last. And he was really close, Rey could smell his cologne. Sandalwood and vanilla. He stared into her eyes for another moment longer. Then he smirked at her, turning his head away again. Leaving Rey with her heart in her throat. She had refused to look at him once more until she glanced in his direction when she hopped off her train and saw him staring at her once again. The only thing she focused on as the world moved around her.

Rey had completely forgotten the time one afternoon after a coffee date with her friends. The only thing on her mind was getting home. She was rather done up today, and didn’t look hot and sweaty nor smelled like a toilet. She stepped onto the train, scanning for a spare seat.

In fact there were many empty seats, so Rey slid into her own.

This time she had placed her handbag on the seat next to her, letting her thoughts wander as she stared out the window. Watching others get on their own trains.

Rey didn’t know how long she had been off in her own world. She was thinking about how Rose said a job has opened up at her work and how she would set Rey up and everything and-

“Excuse me”

Rey’s head spun like an owl towards the owner of the deep voice and it was-

‘ _Fucking hell_ ’

“Do you mind moving your bag” it was him.

Rey obeyed, snatching her purse and placing it on her lap. She turned her attention back out the window.

Rey looked good today, she was feeling confident. And she wasn’t going to let this stranger make her feel uncomfortable any longer.

Rey avoided his gaze while she waited for the train to leave. She cornered herself next to the window, trying to avoid even a brush of his limbs touching hers.

She anxiously checked the time. Her heart felt lighter when the train finally left the station.

‘ _Oh so now you want to sit next to me when I don’t smell like a toilet! I see how it is you cock-_ ‘ he was staring at her.

She could feel it, her nose scrunched and her eyes dared to meet his.

“Is there a problem?” he asked.

“Yeah actually there is. With you. A staring problem”

“Excuse me?”

“I get it! You don’t want to sit next to a smelly sweaty person but you don’t have to stare at me like I’ve got two heads!”

“What-oh...” the man’s face dropped, almost embarrassed. “you noticed...”

“I sure did notice! Noticed when you sat down next to me and then you couldn’t get away soon enough”

“I wasn’t... I didn’t... stand up because you smelt”

“So you’re saying I do smell?”

“For fu- no! no!” He tripped over his words before finally revealing his truth. “I stood up that day because I lost my nerve”.

“You what?”

“Tickets please!” The conductor yelled as he walked by, interrupting the two to check their passes.

“I’ve seen you... on this train, every afternoon for a couple of months now. That day I sat next to you....” the man paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before he looked once more into Rey’s eyes. “I was planning on introducing myself... I lost my nerve”.

“Oh...” Rey turned away. She had not been expecting that at all.

“I don’t think you smell, sweaty yes but you don’t smell as bad as you think”.

“Oh... thanks” Rey felt embarrassed, she had got this all wrong.

“I’m Ben” He introduced himself. A light smile on his face. Almost looking relieved he had gotten what he wanted to say out.

“Rey” she replied. The train had come to a stop, passengers were starting to move towards the doors. “And this is my stop”.

“Oh right” Ben got up from his seat, making room for Rey to squeeze past him.

“Nice to meet you” Rey said awkwardly, heart racing still from the confrontation. The blush on her cheeks fading from being mortified.

“And you, I’ll see you tomorrow” Ben winked as he smiled at her. Sitting back down and watching her leave.

As she took a step from the train onto the platform, see quickly glance back to him. His eyes still on hers. The train had started to leave the platform. She lingered for a moment, Ben’s eyes glued to hers through the window. Her heart stopped as he gave her a little wave, the train leaving faster. Soon he was gone, leaving her still lingering on the platform. Excited to catch the train tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I wrote this ages ago and only found it in my notes file today. Just something short and sweet. Perhaps fluffy I’m unsure. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading x
> 
> I’m on twitter and tumblr @spaceypriestess


End file.
